renew your c-card ?

[jbisjim]

That's just the point. A diving certification isn't a license. It's more of a certificate of training.

exactly

 

[SquattingRadishDM]

The overall idea, to have inactive divers keep their skills up is a good one. There are refresher courses available but they rely on the diver actively seeking them out. Regular divers shouldn't need to take another course if they are comfortable underwater. But I agree that something similar should apply to the divers that get their OW on holiday and dont think about diving again until the next holiday 1,2 or 3 years down the line, by which time their skills and knowledge have practically dissappeared. At the mo PADI RECOMMEND that a refresher is taken after 1 yr of not diving, it might solve the problem to make it madiatory up until Rescue Diver.

 

[Walter]

It'll never fly unless all the agencies follow the same type of plan on expiring cards. One agency started issuing an expiring card a couple decades ago. It was one card, the others remained permanent and there was a permanent card for the same level that was usually issued instead of the 3 year card. It was a PR nightmare. A rumor started that this agency's cards all expired. People avoided this agency because they wanted permanent cards.

 

[Pillow]

OW refresher??

Try that in a state with very few dive shops, cold water and poor vis.

We dive all summer but do not do anything with the dive shops. We would at times have to travel 400 + miles for a OW refresher. Add that up and th refresher would rival the cost of a trip with warm clear water.

I agree that the need to refresh should be based on your comfort level. We will soon be going to the carribean. I anticipate that our diving in 55-60 degree water with vis from 2 to 12 feet will have us feeling comfortable in the warm water. My only concern is the effect of currents and we can not gain that experience up here anyway.

I do not see any advantage for the industry of travel or diving to add these additional requirements. I do not know if I would keep diving up here if I thought that I would still have to refresh every time I got a chance for a trip exspecially on the trips that come up on short notice.

That would be like taking golf lessons, ski lessons or hunter safety year after year.

No thanks.

 

[MSilvia]

I'm an active driver but my driving licence also has a validity date and I have to renew
it every few years even though I'm driving every day.

Do you also have to retake drivers' education classes and pass the licensing test, or is it enough to do the paperwork and hand over the money?

 

[MikeFerrara]

The overall idea, to have inactive divers keep their skills up is a good one.

Which is why a diver is taught the importance of this in their entry level training.

There are refresher courses available but they rely on the diver actively seeking them out.

As it should be

But I agree that something similar should apply to the divers that get their OW on holiday and dont think about diving again until the next holiday 1,2 or 3 years down the line, by which time their skills and knowledge have practically dissappeared.

The dive industry needs to stop assuming that this description fits every one.

At the mo PADI RECOMMEND that a refresher is taken after 1 yr of not diving, it might solve the problem to make it madiatory up until Rescue Diver.

Actually the wording in the text is more to the effect of "several months". Of course, this is another recommendation for new or infrequent divers.

After several months without diving I'll do a few easy cave dives before a difficult one but I sure wouldn't feel the need to have an OW instructor review mask clearing with me. LOL

 

[Damselfish]

Do you also have to retake drivers' education classes and pass the licensing test, or is it enough to do the paperwork and hand over the money?

Right, drivers license is not a good analogy. You renew driver's licenses more so people have to take a new eye test and get an up to date picture, at least in MA. And for the state to collect money of course. (Certainly not for education, though the way people drive around here that wouldn't be a bad idea.)

Most people that drive, drive most every day or at least often enough that they're not going to get rusty. In scuba I'm sure there's a larger proportion of people who have long enough between dives they could use a refresher. But I think it's something that should be left to the individual to determine they need it, making active divers do it is just dumb. I think it should be encouraged more than it is in OW training, so people who might not know better are very aware of it as something they should do. "Never hold your breath, take a refresher if it's been too long, keep up to date.") Some dive ops do require some kind of refresher if it's been too long, and that's good. I know I've had a bad situation with someone who clearly needed a refresher. Then you hear of ops that require everyone to do a refresher pool thing no matter what, and I think that's stupid. (I can understand why they do it, as it's mostly places that get more casual divers on average, but it's still annoying to do it without distinguishing.)

 

[miketsp]

Do you also have to retake drivers' education classes and pass the licensing test, or is it enough to do the paperwork and hand over the money?

Where I am at the moment it's mainly a physical. Eyesight, hearing, physical integrity (you haven't lost any limbs or fingers which may make vehicle control difficult) and a force test (dynamometer grip test) basically to make sure you have the physical capability to control the vehicle.

 

[DennisS]

My C card is working just fine, why would I need to renew it. It's not required to go diving of the beach or a private boat. I can't remember the last time I was asked for my card to get an airfill. I dive whenever I get the chance, which is pretty often in S. Florida. I see no need to get a C-card renewal.